14 May 2017 00:39:43
Reading reports that Bruce will have a budget of just 1 mill + what he can generate through sales.
Looks like we won't be getting the 3-4 top quality signings we were hoping for
I wonder what Bruce is thinking?
Perhaps we should utilise the loan market a bit more?

Mendax

1.) 14 May 2017 01:14:03
If the players who spent this year on loan are sold, that must give us a sizeable pot.
Then Richards, and the like.

Think with the size of the playing staff, was always a sell before you buy pre season.

I personally don't think we need many additions any way. just a keeper, and a full pre season with what we have.

2.) 14 May 2017 01:27:35
Thats the reason he's trying to get mcshortfarce back on side again, looks like our once mighty club is going to be going cap in hand, you couldn't make it up with all these sticks and twists, but for me personally, i think this news is brilliant, now he'll have to work with what we got, and maybe that continuity will bring that ingredient that's been missing from our game.

3.) 14 May 2017 06:06:31
I don't belive a word of it rules are you can only spend what you generate well we have 3 parachute payments last year was 50 million and this year it should be 30 million. Plus we prob generate 6 million in attendance eg season tickets then there's player sales. We are selling this season but that's because Bruce wants to not because he has to! These jornos havnt got a clue at all. Watch the doctor laugh it off again.

4.) 14 May 2017 06:36:18
Just read what dr. tony has to say, and it doesn't sound as bad as made out at all. We do only need strengthening in a few places but branding figures about is mad. True we can't spend 50 60 million again but we don't need to Bruce brought most of his players in January. money we can generate Richie de laet 3 million amavi 10 million elphick 3 million verout 10 million gill 3 million there's 29 million we parachute payments we be fine. its Gabby and Richards need moving on Richards still on 50k so Gabby. Bottom line is the squad is far to big if we sell we have more money to spend but that's with any business papers gone bit over board if you ask me tho.

10.) 10 Jun 2017 22:45:21
The problem with that plan is we will be a selling club therefore a buyers market discount those transferred by 50% it going to be a fire sale we should have started this 9 months ago in one and twos them we get a better deal.

18 Apr 2016 19:15:25
Club have released statement saying:
" The Chairman, Steve Hollis, is currently engaged in extensive negotiations in relation to the sale of the Club"
This has to be good news. I'm all over the place .
Is this what it feels like to be bi-polar?

2.) 18 Apr 2016 19:37:00
When I wake up in the morning we will have been taken over buy a trillion dollar oil consortium that were waiting for a cut price deal after our relegation. Please not the chinese, but beggers can't be choosers.

22 Nov 2015 12:03:36
Our biggest problem now is that even if we go and pick up a few results in the more winnable games we have, we are unlikely to be out of the bottom 3 by January
Even if Lerner were to put his hand in his pocket, which is unlikely, the kind of player we need is likely to avoid us like the plague
Garde is probably going to have to rely on a few gambles with Championship players or players from abroad and hope they work out spectacularly well.
There seems very little coming through the academy.

Mendax

{Ed002's Note - Whether or not anything happens in January I have a little information related to Aston Villa:

Striker: There will be a flurry of activity surrounding Charlie Austin again in January. It will go the same way as before unless one or more of the interested clubs were to offer the asking price and then the player can make the decision. I expect Bournemouth are, like West Brom, out of the picture. Newcastle, Aston Villa and, perhaps, Crystal Palace may well step forward. He is keen to stay in the south of England.

Centre Back: River Plate's Balanta is of serious interest to a number of clubs and his agent says he has been approached by Aston Villa and Leicester City about the availability of the player. He would need a lot of work before being ready to play at the highest level in Europe, and I doubt anything will happen with Aston Villa.}

15 Aug 2015 17:09:16
What is all this BS about the ManU fullback Darmian "brilliantly fooling" Micah Richards ?
From where I was looking, the idiot seems to have brilliantly distracted himself as Richards easily got away from him as the corner came in and was only prevented from scoring by a cynical and clear foul that should have led to a penalty
It seems the maxim " the victors write the history" is true.

2.) 15 Aug 2015 18:21:56
The way the commentators were speaking at the end of the game was like we had been dominated for 90 minutes. They are supposed to be a top 4 side challenging for the title and the champions league and they managed 2 shots on target against us. Not to mention that on another day their deflection doesn't go in and we get a penalty and we walk away with the 3 points or at the very least a draw. The referee had an absolute shocker all the way through. Darmian should have got a yellow for that penalty decision that went against us too, which would have resulted in a red when the ref finally got his cards out towards the end of the game. If I was Sherwood I'd have told Richards to flatten him next time he started grabbing.

3.) 15 Aug 2015 22:31:21
Your absolutely hit the nail on the head there AndyVilla, the bias and ignorance from most commentators is unbelievable

They have been beating the anti villa drum for years now so hopefully the Villa can shut a few of them up and the whole Darmian putting Richards off is BS the fact is we don't feed into the narrative Sly and most try to pendle.

4.) 16 Aug 2015 23:19:24
Totally true Villanator - I think we got 7 words on match of the day. They spent the entire analysis on Man U and we got some asinine statement like 'yeah, they look alright' tagged on at the end.

5.) 17 Aug 2015 10:10:31
its not so much anti villa its that they're paid to commentate on man utd by man utds backers. football punditry is now biased towards the really big clubs. I've been sayin that officials are biased if not fully corrupt or stood over and i wouldn't be suprised if we find out one day in the not too distant future just how corrupt the EPL has been since 92. its all about the money.
there is only one way out of the poor officiating and that's the video referee. with so much at stake it makes you wonder why it hasn't been implemented.

31 Jul 2015 16:18:19
Not sure how real the interest was in Florian Thauvin (if at all)
But, I'm assuming that with a forward line comprising Kozac, Gestede and Adebayor, we are going to looking for an out and out winger ?
Exciting times

Mendax

1.) 31 Jul 2015 16:55:11
I still think we will go in for townsend or ballasi

2.) 17 Apr 2017 19:49:01
Definitely my vote for Championship Manager of the season! To think he had no preseason to work with his squad yet has done a Stirling job! Such a shame he can't see it through! Thank you all the same Mr Zola!

20 Feb 2017 21:55:56
We have no luck
We are poor in the final third
We're mental lightweights
We now look to have injury problems upfront
Oh yes, and we can't defend.
The unthinkable is becoming thinkable. I can't stop thinking about it.

Mendax

1.) 20 Feb 2017 22:09:06
1 point since Boxing Day. General attitude looking on seems to smell very similar to last season's shambles. Agree with you that the unthinkable is starting to loom as a distinct possibility.

4.) 21 Feb 2017 11:47:18
No top class strikers and we need to score goals, and we can only sign free agents! That got me thinking ROBBIE KEANE saved us the last he was with us why not again, and why not bring in his best strike partner from his tottenham days DIMITAR BERBATOV, STANS best mate and while were at it bring back STAN PETROV . At least there will be some spirit and class there . can't do much worse can we?

1.) 26 Jan 2017 19:19:40
Yeh its certainly is Mendax, some real good business done.
Would love a proven goal scorer now, and maybe another defender Like Melberg/ Larsen, hard to find I know but they are out there.
6 have to go now, fed up writing their names, We all know who they are, then all hunky dori

4.) 26 Jan 2017 22:00:19
Before you get too carried away, get a reality check, just remember you same guys were waxing lyrical when we signed Gestede Adomah Ayew Veretout Gana Elphick Jedinak Mc cormack. Not one of these will be in the starting line up against Brentford. Six million worth of signings is not a justification for the euphoria I am reading.

7.) 26 Jan 2017 23:31:52
I think this has been a great transfer window. I didn't think we would sign as many as we have. He's signed the players we have been screaming out for. A new right back and a new midfield. The summer we will just need to tinker and maybe splash out on a top striker. Abel hernandez if hull go down would be nice. And at half the price we offered last summer. And these players are proven at this level. And the best players in their teams. Happy days if you ask me.

8.) 27 Jan 2017 01:02:11
For a guy who calls himself 'hopeful' you really aren't very positive. Like at all. We've just signed Lansbury and Hourihane, two of the best in the division in their position, who both captained teams around us in the league for virtually nothing. And better yet they sort out the biggest problem with our squad, the lackluster midfield. Its outstanding business.

OK they aren't Messi and Ronaldo but what caliber of player are you expecting us to get exactly?

We got Bree in to cover for the injured De laet so we aren't stuck with Hutton as the only option. We got Thor who can play wide left which is the other position we are really short in and he's also quite versatile. Remember this window isn't normally where the big money is spent, its for bolstering the squad in its deficient areas to see you through the rest of the season. So far we have done that fantastically well and it would seem we aren't finished yet - all without breaking the bank. If we get some cover for Amavi, ship McCormack out and replace him and maybe thin the squad a little I'll be a very happy man.

9.) 27 Jan 2017 09:04:04
Hi Hopeful, I take your point about previous buys but this time it looks like SB has made planned buys not the panic action that DiM took.
DiM went overboard and put silly money on the table.

The look of the team will change as will the style and hopefully the results.
Keep your reality, it is vital, and accept that SB has spent less than DiM did on one disagreeable Scot.

2.) 15 Oct 2016 21:40:11
richards was awful yes but to be fair if him jedinak and cissoko get to start another game ill be suprised, far better players than them on the bench who i hope are only rested due to internaionl or bruce was just trying to see how they play.

3.) 15 Oct 2016 22:41:57
Richards is clearly carrrying some timber if not a forest, however today I thought he really tried and showed some glimpses of what he could be. Ok he was all over the place but did throw himself in there and certainly made one crucial tackle in the box! Jedinak on the other hand is a ghost of who he was in the palace side! His use of the ball is beyond any imagination, such a shame as promised so much! Today was shocking again and Bruce has to mould a team from what he has been left. We were really second best today and SB has a hard job to get us anywhere near contention in readiness for his January window VTID.

4.) 15 Oct 2016 23:12:58
Was Jedinak playing?
In honesty, us arguing about who was worse is an exercise in futility
I thought Richards was a mess but I'm quite willing to accept others opinions about who was as bad
If we had 9 worse than Richard though we really are in trouble.

5.) 16 Oct 2016 08:32:55
Just rewinding on my previous post having now watched the highlights on TV or should I say low lights?! From the Holte, Richard's tackle in the box looked a great goal stopper but was clearly a penalty! Agree Mendax he was all over the place but I felt he put in effort throwing self about. When think years back how silky fit an attacking right back he was, he looked a mess. 4/ 10 for performance 7/ 10 for effort! Felt dissappointed when he was subbed through obligatory injury and wasn't any great cheers to see him go so must have done something ok if not chaotic.

6.) 16 Oct 2016 11:02:21
I couldn't get to game so had to watch on TV mate. in a pub in Wolverhampton. That was fun
Anyway, the tackle you refer to brought an understandable level of abuse for ref. I haven't had the heart to watch the low lights.

8.) 16 Oct 2016 11:09:47
In all honesty Richards give it a go today, hasn't played in how many and he stopped them from scoring once, cleared it from corners 3 times and at points him and adomah defended well as a unit and attacked well.

I can see why you can say he wasn't that great because as usual he got dragged to the ball and when he burst forward 4 or 5 times he lost the ball all but once, however sitting the the jolts end upper you can see what he can and there was no one showing for him whatsoever, it's just he never chose the right decision to pass it inside he kept trying weird balls and losing it.

However if you was to question or pick out players today I don't think he should come to mind at all, Elphic, Jedinak and kodja were absolutely pathetic. Elphic is living of this whole captain thing, he's slow and can't read the game and Chester is forever covering for him, Jedinak do I need to even say anything, what a nightmare, kodja first half was lively but should have passed to McCormack instead of shot at one point which would of lead to a one on one in the box and second half, instead of going for the ball all he did was look for cheap free kicks by backing into players and holding them, which the ref wasn't having, he was knackered after 60 and needed replacing.

Could do a long post about the game but I've just got home and need my bed so maybe before the reading game. Glad we got something from the game, UP THE VILLA!

9.) 16 Oct 2016 11:00:42
From where I was sat "on half way line upper Doug Ellis is was easy to see where the real problem is, we re lacking pace in the middle of the park. Tishbola and Jednaik can win the ball but they can't run at pace with it. Wolves were getting hold of the ball, charging at speed then passing to their forwards.

We were relying on our forwards to pick the ball up deep but it leaves them too much ground to cover and by the time they reached the penalty box they had run out of steam " hence looking unfit. Having said that we have a number of guys who look slow to me "Jednaik looks 50, Tishbola looks like he needs to lose some muscle, Elphick looks like the classic old waggon horse, and Grealish looked unfit! Finally Richards is like a headless chicken on speed with a weight problem.

10.) 16 Oct 2016 11:13:25
It's going to take a bit of time for the team to settle and get used to Bruces methods. We really missed Ayew charging forward and that highlights how import he is to the team he's our only real creative spark.

09 Sep 2016 09:47:37
I don't buy the Birmingham Mail but I do see the odd article related to Villa. I have noticed a lot of complaints on here saying that there is an anti Villa bias. The article I read today eas with Bristol's operating officer talking about how they managed to extract the maximum amount of cash from Villa for Kodija.
Not only is it a dull piece of writing which states the obvious but the undertone seems to be we have paid too much; he's not worth it etc.
This is before the guy has kicked a ball for us.
The article might have been of interest to Bristol fans hurting from the sale of their best player, but to the people of Birmingham?

My question is why do the Mail want to undermine the club supported by the majority of their readers.
Or, am I being over sensitive?

Mendax

1.) 09 Sep 2016 12:10:16
Possibly a bit sensitive . I've bought the Birmingham Mail for many years and have only ever noticed a bias towards Villa. The other West Midlands clubs too ; Albion, Wolves Walsall and the other one.
I've always thought that the bias against us comes from the national press i.e London and Manchester.

08 Jun 2017 20:25:28
But that's the point, we are giving young players a chance. In general they just prove not to be good enough.
Maybe we needed to question why that is?
Why are we not attracting youngsters of the right ability or what is wrong with our coaching methods once we have them.

07 Jun 2017 18:16:14
I don't agree with your premise which seems to suggest, if we are going to play someone crap, play someone young and crap from the youth team
I agree that we shouldn't sign this guy if he's poor (I know nothing about him) but I don't conflate the argument to propose we play a youth player regardless of ability.

03 Jun 2017 11:31:31
"Giving the youth a go" is fine assuming they are good enough. Maybe they are not.
I've nothing against playing young kids but they have to be good enough
It should be for the kids themselves to put in performances in front of Bruce that make it impossible for him to leave them out. Like Andre Green has done.

12 Aug 2017 21:11:54
How do you know Giggs couldn't do any worse? He has no pedigree in management whatsoever. The only way what you say would make sense would be if if was impossible for things to get worse. And if you believe that, you really are deluded.

12 Aug 2017 21:08:35
I agree with ya mate. Totally
I was just making the point that it seems crazy on the face of it. But as you say, the players don't seem to be buying in to whatever he is trying to do.